Current affairs Daily Updates: 12th July 2017
APPOINTMENTS
Twitter
names former Goldman Sachs banker Ned Segal as CFO
- Ned Segal, a
longtime Goldman Sachs banker and the former Senior Vice President of
Finance at Silicon Valley's financial software company Intuit, has been
appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer at Twitter.
- Segal will
take over the CFO role from Anthony Noto, who was promoted to COO post
last November.
- Segal will
report directly to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Rajeev
Dubey elected to Governing Board of ILO
- Rajeev Dubey,
Member Executive Board, FICCI and Group President (HR & Corporate
Services), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, got elected to the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) Governing Board on June 12 at Geneva.
- The ILO
Governing Body is an apex level policy making and oversight body with 56
members comprising 14 members from the Employers, 14 from the Trade Unions
and 28 from the Government.
- ILO is a part
of UN family having 184 member countries with head office at Geneva.
Rajeev has been elected against the seat for South Asia.
- Mr Dubey
joined Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in January 2004 after a career spanning
29 years in the Tata Group, which he joined in 1975 as a member of the
TAS, the central managerial cadre of the Tata Group.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Japan’s
men-only island gets UNESCO heritage tag
- A men-only
island in Japan (women are banned) and male visitors must bathe naked in
the sea before visiting its shrine, has been declared a UNESCO World
Heritage site.
- The tiny
landmass of Okinoshima is permanently manned by a Shinto priest who prays
to the island’s goddess, in a tradition that has been kept up for
centuries.
- UNESCO’s
heritage committee considered 33 sites for the prestigious status at its
annual gathering in Poland.
IROAF won
gold standards by winning Golden Peacock Award for Eco Innovation for year 2017
- Indian
Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel (IROAF) has set gold standards by
winning Golden Peacock Award for Eco-Innovation for the year 2017 for
introducing eco-friendly and cost-saving Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
based Dual Fuel 1400 HP Diesel engines on Diesel Electric Multiple Unit
(DEMU) trains.
- This
innovation will reduce emissions considerably by bringing down nitrogen
oxides (NOx) by 16%, CO by 6% and Particulate Matter by 18% besides
achieving economy in fuel cost by 8%.
BANKING AFFAIRS
Bank of
Baroda to raise up to Rs 3,000 Cr via Basel III bonds
- Bank of
Baroda (BoB) is set to raise up to Rs. 3,000 Crore through Basel III compliant
bonds.
- The finance
committee of the bank approved to the issuance of AT-1 capital bonds
compliant with Basel III capital regulations for a minimum amount of Rs.
500 Crore with green shoe option.
- The raising
of funds will be in single or multiple tranches.
SEBI amends
guidelines for foreign investors looking to operate at IFSC
- Markets
regulator SEBI (Securities
and Exchange Board of India) has amended the guidelines for eligible
foreign investors looking to operate at the International Financial
Services Centre (IFSC).
- Now, a
trading member of a stock exchange in the IFSC can carry out the due
diligence for an eligible foreign investor(EFI), who is not registered
with the regulator as a Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI).
- The provision
has been made for the account opening process of an eligible foreign
investor (EFI).
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Axis Bank
tie up with IIC to boost trade with Latin America
- Axis Bank
entered into a collaboration with Inter-American Investment Corporation
(IIC) to facilitate trade with Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Axis Bank
becomes the first Indian bank to participate in the Trade Finance
Facilitation Programme as a confirming bank. IIC, a member of the
Inter-American Development Bank Group, is a multilateral development bank
committed to supporting the private sector in Latin America and the
Caribbean.
Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited signs MoU with Defence Ministry
- Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
for the financial year 2017-18 with the Ministry of Defence.
- The MoU aims
at various performance parameters of the company during the year 2017-18.
- It also laid
specific emphasis on capacity building, modernization, solar power plants,
aiming to achieve capital expenditure of Rs. 1,300 crores.
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
Malala Day:
12 July
- 12 July 2013
is observed as Malala Day across the World and by United Nations.
- The day is
being observed by the United Nations to highlight the fight of education
of the Pakistani child activist Malala Yousafzai.
- 12 July, the
day of Malala’s Birth was declared as Malala Day by UN General Secretary
Ban-Ki-Moon on her 16th Birthday.
- Malala is the
girl from Pakistan, who was shot in head and neck by the Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) on 9 October 2012 for advocating girls for their right to
education and speaking against Taliban.
Union
Finance Minister inaugurated the 36th NABARD Foundation Day
- Union Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the National Bank For Agriculture &
Rural Development (NABARD) and Silver Jubilee of SHG Bank Linkage
Programme, in New Delhi.
- This day is
dedicated on celebrating the Silver Jubilee (25 years) of Self Help Group
Bank Linkage Programme (SHG BLP).
- It is an
initiative of Financial Inclusion by NABARD.The pilot stage of this
programme was started in the year 1992.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India to
become largest milk producer in 2026 according to OECD-FAO report
- According to
recently released the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD)-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026, India will be the
world’s largest milk producer by 2026 and will account for the biggest
increase in wheat production globally.
- India’s
population will grow to 1.5 billion from 1.3 billion, an increase of
almost 150 million every year.
- India will
overtake China to be the most populous country in the world by 2026.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Maharashtra
first state in the country to launch free injectable contraceptive for women
- Maharashtra
becomes the first state in the country to provide women with an injectable
contraceptive for free.
- The state’s
public health department launched a program called Antara to offer women
an injection of Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a birth-control
hormone.
- According to
state health officials the injection, a safe means of birth control is
effective for three months.
ESIC &
DGFASLI sign MoU for collaboration on occupational health and prevention of
occupational injuries and diseases
- Union
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment signs a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation (ESIC) and Directorate General Factory Advice Service &
Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) for collaboration in the field of occupational
health and prevention of occupational injuries and diseases signed in New
Delhi.
- The main
focus of MoU is occupational health by establishing ‘DGFASLI-ESIC
Occupational Health Training, Research & Development Centre’ (OHTRDC)
at Regional Labour Institute, Faridabad.
- It will help
in spreading awareness for healthy working conditions, reduce the danger
of diseases or injuries and provide a good quality life for workers.
National
Green Tribunal bans use of nylon and synthetic manja
- National
Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on nylon and synthetic ‘manja’ the
string used to fly kites as it poses a threat to the lives of birds,
animals and humans.
- State
governments have been directed to prohibit the “manufacture, sale,
storage, purchase and use” of synthetic ‘manja’ or nylon threads and all
other synthetic threads used for flying kites.
- The NGT
passed the order after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
moved it for a nationwide ban on all forms of sharp kite-flying strings
called manja.
Odisha to set
up International Standard Sports City
- Odisha Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik announced to set up an International Standard
Sports City recently.
- Kalinga
International Sports City will be set up in Bhubaneswar and will be
eligible to bid for most international competitions including Commonwealth
and Asian games.
- The state
government also signed an expression of interest with the International
Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and the Athletics Federation of
India for setting up of a high-performance academy inside the Kalinga
Stadium.
NGT imposes
nationwide ban on nylon and synthetic manja
- The National
Green Tribunal banned the use of ‘Chinese’ kite strings, made of nylon or
any synthetic material on the grounds that it poses threat to life and
environment.
- The Tribunal
directed all state governments to prohibit the “manufacture, sale,
storage, purchase and use” of synthetic manja or nylon threads and all
other synthetic strings used for flying kites with immediate effect.
- A bench
headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the authorities
to ban import of any synthetic manja.
- The judgement
came on a plea filed by animal rights body People for Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) and others, contending that ‘manja’ poses a grave threat to
humans and animals as every year a number of deaths are caused by it.
Union
Government saved Rs 57,000 crore saved through DBT
- Union
Government saved Rs 57,000 crores through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT)
scheme under which subsidies are given directly to beneficiaries.
- In 2017-18,
the beneficiary base rose from 10.71 crores in 2013-14 to 35.62 crore.
- The main aim
is to transfer benefits of various Central Government-run social welfare
schemes directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFAIRS
NASA’s Juno
spacecraft completes flyby over Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
- NASA’s
unmanned spacecraft Juno successfully peered into the Jupiter’s giant
storm known as the Great Red Spot.
- The Great Red
Spot on Jupiter is a massive storm (cyclone) measuring about 16,000 km in
diameter. It is a largest known storm in the solar system.
- It is
monitored since 1830 and has possibly existed for more than 350 years.
- The spot
appears as a deep, red orb surrounded by layers of pale yellow, orange and
white.
- The
spacecraft has been named from Greco-Roman mythology. It is orbiting
Jupiter from pole to pole, 5,000 kilometres above planet’s cloud tops.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Mithali Raj creates history, becomes leading
run-getter in Women’s ODIs
- Mithali Raj
has been India’s premier player ever since she made her debut in 1999. Her
exploits in the international stage in both Tests and ODIs have made her
India’s premier player.
- She created a
world record by smashing seven consecutive fifty-plus scores, making her
the first woman player to achieve the feat.
- In the
crucial game against Australia, Mithali became the woman cricketer who has
scored most runs in ODIs.
- Mithali Raj
became the first women’s player to reach 6000 ODI runs. England’s Charlotte Edwards was the
previous leading run-getter in ODIs with 5992 runs.
- 164 - Number
of innings that has taken Mithali to achieve this feat. She has 48
not-outs to her name, which is the most in women’s cricket.
